Directory_and_Chronicle_1842 — Page 337

1842.

Notices on Chinese Grammar.

319

and precision. Thus in treating of sounds, characters, and words, the compiler omits to define these terms; and using them sometimes interchangeably, it is not always easy to determine what meaning he would have attached to them. Want of perspicuity is seen both in the arrangement of paragraphs, and in the structure of sentences. This might be excused in Mr. Gutzlaff, the English tongue with him not being vernacular but Mr. Medhurst should not have allowed it to escape his practiced eye. It is not always easy to determine how much one ought to undertake. With all proper deference to seniori- ty, we would suggest to Mr. Medhurst whether, by undertaking less and by rendering that more complete, the total value of his work to the public would not be considerably enhanced. For an improve- ment in quality, we would gladly see a large reduction of the quan- tity of the matter, comprised in the first book of the notices before us. Were it worth while we could point out several inaccuracies in the paragraphs on sound, on the characters, and on words. In one place we read, “the characters, used by the Chinese, are ideographic symbols." Again we read, "that it is also very obvious, that for the greater part of ideas no imitative representations could be made, and therefore new and arbitrary signs had to be invented," which of course are not ideographic. Further; the remarks that "the Chinese have no idea of our grammatical distinctions," and that, "not a single native writer has ever touched upon the subject," are inaccurate.

But, leaving these points, we proceed to notice, seriation, the se- veral chapters of the second book, on grammar, properly so called. Here we find the work executed in a much more satisfactory man- ner, and all that is said "points strictly to the peculiarities of the language; for, it is added, "we intend to give the Chinese, as a whole, such as it is, independent of any other language, to enable the reader to become acquainted with its idioms. This is the truc and the only proper course to be pursued in forming a Chinese

grammar.

Chapter 1st treats of the noun. Without assigning any reason for so doing, the article is placed under this head; and is disposed of in few words. In closing the remarks on the article it is said that, almost all the Chinese substantives have their peculiar numerals, which, put before the noun, seem to circumscribe the definite article." The class of words here referred to cannot, we think, be considered as numerals; nor is it easy to understand what is meant when it is said "

they serve to circumscribe the indefinite article." The geni- tve, dative, accusative, ablative, and vocative cases are all illustrated